I feel like the older I get the faster time flies! What the heck happened to 2016? It literally flew by and now we're onto 2017. Seriously bizzare!

Anyway, I wanted to write a post about my 2016 as a business owner and share highlights and lessons from this year. I believe it's important to look back at your successes and failures and see what you can do better next year and even celebrate the accomplishments you didn't get to celebrate when they happened.

To start off here is a list of things I felt were accomplishments and make me super proud of myself:

1. I became an LLC2. I am a registered business with the state of Colorado3. I completed a very involved sales training course4. I committed a year to a Business Builders networking group and attended almost every week.5. This was my first year having senior model representatives6. I made multiple new friends in the wedding industry7. I booked 9 weddings when my goal was 78. I upgraded my gear9. I got business insurance

Secondly, here are some of my biggest fails:

1. I didn't second shoot for anyone this year2. I didn't blog nearly as much as I wanted to3. I nearly blew up one of my clients hands with a smoke bomb4. I was really unorganized this year with filing, backing up images, and wedding prep5. My external hard drive crashed and had to pay A TON of money to get my clients photos off of it.6. I didn't do any educational stuff this year whether that be a workshop, read blogs, or take a class.7. Limit my social media intake8. I had a goal to shoot something for me once a month and that didn't last. I got a few months done but not every month.9. I didn't do much self care this year so by the end of summer I was SO burnt out!

So there you have it. I feel like it's cheesy to share these things with you all but at the same time I know some of you will appreciate it. The internet totally disconnects us from one another and it sometimes may seem like my business and I are doing fine and dandy but this was my busiest year yet and I felt like a hot mess lol! I WANT you guys to see that I'm NOT perfect and I have no idea how to run a business and I'm learning all of that as I go. I've been full time for 1.5 years and have been shooting for 3.5 years and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface. All that to say, you as my client, thank you so much for hiring me to continue to pursue my dreams and for having grace on me as I figure this thing out! And you, as a local business owner or photographer, I am not perfect and I'm figuring this out as I go and if you're in the same boat please let me know so I don't feel alone! Plus, you've got this and I'm here to cheer you on!

Ok, ok enough of that! Here are some of my favorite photos from this year in no particular order. Thank you all to my AMAZING clients for letting me be a part of such special moments in your lives! From Senior photos to your weddings- I am so thankful for you all!